Independent Institution

Washington College has announced the appointment of Dr. Wayne B. Powell as the College’s 32nd President. Dr. Powell holds a PhD in mathematics from Tulane University and has had a distinguished career in higher education as a faculty member and administrator, serving seventeen years at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Prior to this, Dr. Powell was the Dean and Associate Dean of the Graduate College at Oklahoma State University and served two interim deanships at Arkansas Tech University. Dr. Powell takes office on September 1st, 2020.

Valparaiso University has appointed Dr. Niclas L. Erhardt, Ph.D., as its new Dean of the College of Business, effective August 3, 2020.  In his new role, Dr. Erhardt will be responsible for the strategic leadership, coordination, and guidance of the College of Business. He joins Valpo from the University of Maine, where he served as the Associate Dean for the Maine Business School and the founding director for its Professional Development Center. Originally from Stockholm, Sweden, Erhardt holds a Ph.D. in human resource management and labor relations and a master’s in industrial and labor relations from Rutgers University as well as a master’s in industrial relations from Iowa State University and a bachelor’s from Cornell University.

The Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Albany, New York, has appointed Dr. Eric J. Jarvi as Interim Project Manager. 

Blackburn College has announced that Dr. Mark Biermann has been named as its next President. Dr. Biermann will assume office on August 15, 2020.  Dr. Biermann has spent his entire professional career in higher education, holding a range of positions at a number of different colleges and universities. Biermann currently serves as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Valparaiso University in Indiana. Dr. Biermann earned a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. in Optics from the University of Rochester. Read more here.

Mr. Samuel “Sam” Williams has been selected as the new chief information officer for Linfield College. He begins his new role on Monday June 15, 2020. Mr. Williams was the director of academic technology services & innovation at the University of Portland, with 20 years of experience in both academic and administrative technology. He received an MS in education and information technology at Western Oregon University.

Johnson C. Smith University announces the appointment of Dr. Vijaya L. Gompa as dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. She currently serves as professor of Mathematics and she served as head of the Department of Mathematical, Computing and Information Sciences at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL. Dr. Gompa will begin her tenure at JCSU on June 1, 2020. Read more here.

Johnson C. Smith University has announced the appointment of Dr. Davida Loren Haywood as vice president for Student Affairs (VPSA). Haywood, a 1998 graduate of Johnson C. Smith University, will be the chief officer responsible for developing a comprehensive program of services for traditional, non-traditional and graduate students.  Dr. Haywood earned a bachelor of science degree in Business Administration (summa cum laude) from Johnson C. Smith University as well as a master of arts degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Higher Education from The Ohio State University. She will begin her tenure at JCSU on July 1, 2020. Read more here.

Rider University has announced that Dr. Eugene Kutcher was appointed the Dean of the Norm Brodsky College of Business. Dr. Kutcher began his appointment on April 1, 2020 after serving as interim dean since September, 2019. His appointment comes 13 years after Dr. Kutcher joined the University as an assistant professor in the Department of Management. He was promoted to associate professor and tenured in 2013 and assumed the role of department chairperson in 2015. In 2013, he received Rider's Distinguished Teaching Award.  Dr. Kutcher graduated from Rutgers University with a double major in business management and psychology, received his master’s from Montclair State University and a doctorate from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in industrial and organizational psychology. Read more here.

Johnson C. Smith University has appointed Dr. Rhonda Moses as its new Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management. Dr. Moses is presently the Dean of Enrollment Management at Huston-Tillson University, a role she has held since August 2015; prior to that she was Director, Office of Sponsored Programs for Huston-Tillson University. 

Loyola University Chicago has announced the appointment of Dr. Emily Barman as its Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost of Graduate Education. Dr. Barman comes to Loyola from Boston University, where she has served as its Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and a Professor of Sociology since 2017. Her tenure at Boston University spans over 18 years and along with her impressive academic credentials and work on complex global problems confronting society, Dr. Barman brings an acute understanding of the Jesuit mission and values. She is especially interested in building community and promoting social justice consistent with the strategic vision being developed at Loyola. A recognized researcher and author, Dr. Barman holds Ph.D. and a Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Sociology from the University of British Columbia.